The Soap Box with Austin Malleolo

I dive into the last ten years at Reebok and what I learned, the experiences, the people and the brand and how it has led to where I am going now and my next steps! 

In this one I dive into a ramble on throughput and how ideas are great, but HOW do you plan on putting them into play and how that might change over time. Goals are great, but just having a clear direction might be more important than a SUPER specific end state - as that end state is more of a horizon that you might never reach - but keep pushing toward. 

I go deep in on this one on how important it is to let yourself swing from one end of the pendulum to the other. From how we feel, to the pain we feel in workouts. A life session that has been a guiding tenet for me for nearly half my life and I talk about where I learned it and its origins!

I break down my top "Learnings" from 2020.

1. Awareness

2. Action

3. Trust, but always question

4. Work ethic, priorities & communication

5. Different is NOT the opposite of the same

Challenge, be true to who you are and be empathetic

In this episode I dive into how proper nutritional principles and basic finance principles on saving and preparing for life ahead are the same. It does not make it easy in application, but it does make it easy in principle, therefore allowing us to focus on DOING and nothing else. As it is know that "Doers" will do and "Takers" will take, who are you?

In this episode I get passionate about how we can overvalue ourselves, and not really take a deep look at what skills we have and how that differs from our ability to work hard and have a good work ethic. It can be intoxicating to let your ability to work hard, or that you have been successful in one area, lead you to believe that you have the ability to do this anywhere...Knowing what you do not now is one of the most powerful skills a person can have...

I dive into some leadership tactics and how they have and will play out during the current struggles that we are faced with in our industry (fitness). Lots to unpack in this one, but the take away is that "There is no end state to success, there is just what's next."

In this episode we dive into the age old question "how do you make money as a trainer" there has always been a struggle with the fitness industry and trainers and there has always been many people out there that want to "tell you" how to make money in this industry. I dive into some real ways to make it in this industry and how to stand out - and how to navigate through the fitness landscape. 

I break down how to find the daily WIN. Most all people care about results, that is what drives us, and what we want. So how do we make this clear in our lives and our gyms? I also think I make my favorite analogy of all time at the end of the episode - please let me know what you think if it, I am proud of it!

In this episode I dive into money, finances and how it relates so well to fitness and CrossFit, what we do and how we do it. Some best practices and red threads that you see across successful indivudlas and business that we all can learn from. This is a fun one because we all can relate and it is not easy for many people to talk about money - so I hope you find some value in this one! 

In this episode I break down why I love the CrossFit Games, why it they are important and what we can learn from them! I talk about best practices as well as pitfalls many have fallen into when it comes from learning or looking to the games for what to do as opposed to taking best practices or themes from...

In this episode I dive into a great question about how to deal with transitioning from being focused on being an athlete, competing and all that goes into that lifestyle to next steps. There is so much to unpack here from the simple, what do I do from a training perspective and how do I shape my days. To how do I deal with this mentally and emotionally? I talk about what I have found useful for me and what I have struggled with so far in my journey.

Not really about politics, just a world view that I think can help many. I draw on my life experiences in this one from my many failures to how I "turned" it around and what my thought process was and still is. Hard work, Care and DRIVE! With that mindset, you will tune out the noise, not have time to worry about things that deter you from you goal, mission and purpose - you will be laser focused and therefore have a better chance for success, and not be a snowflake and complain or whine - you will just execute. 

In this episode, I dive into the world of emotions and ego and how many people have become unable to take feedback or criticism or even deal with someone that has a different viewpoint or belief then they do. Leading to stagnation in growth and inability to get better or learn from others...

I break down how it started, why it started, and then where it has gone from there. Paul, Craig, and I created this to help us and our consistency and motivation. Then we realized that many others wanted to be a part of this and get in on the action! So I dive into the philosophies and thoughts on this!

In this episode, I try to answer the question about what is the RIGHT amount of volume to have in a class at the Affiliate level. I talk about how a class should be structured, and how much it matters what we do as coaches in a class that will make or break your athlete's experience. Just having lots of "parts" in a class does not mean it is a good class. Having a well thought out class, with a general and specific warm-up, cool down and a well-paced class can be LOTS of volume,  you just need to make sure you are ready to coach that to a group of people! We need to get our people to move better so they can more load faster which will allow them to get fitter - and that is all of our goals at the end of the day!

In this Soap Box I dive in to a fun topic of how the world of CrossFit differs from the specialist world and why. There are many misconceptions on this topic, so I try to put them to rest with some common sense and real world examples of why there is a difference and a NEEDED one at that! Just because things are different, does not make them at odds or enemies - in fact they can often complement one another!

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Here is the butterfly pullup tutorial video that sparked this episodes inspiration!

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CEM1Wuvgfqx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In this episode, I dive into the arena of feedback. We all get it, and it can be hard to deal with and even harder to know what to do once you get it! We dive into the main reasons WHY we get feedback at a gym and as coaches adn gym owners and the best ways to listen, learn and ACT. But it is not as clear cut and one sided as you might think...

We go in on the CrossFit Programming geek stuff here. I dive into why variance works, why MOST of us should do it AND why many mis understand it, and therefore knock it and try to capitalize on talking down about it. This one will be very good for you if you are a coach, or wonder how this stuff works and want to understand this stuff a little more!

Short and sweet on this one...

Lifestyle: Wake up Early

Fitness: Don't go without working out for more than 2 days

Nutrition: Don't have it in the house, if you do not want to eat it

Profession: Say yes, and learn on the fly, never turn down an opportunity to at least learn about an opportunity

I dive into some of the feeling and learnings that I had when I went back to my house where I grew up and threw down in a workout with my pops and brother for the last time at that house, the place where I learned about CrossFit and started to train for the Games as well. Lots of learnings can come from taking a "walk" back in different environments to reflect and overlay those learnings on what is currently going on...Enjoy! 

I got some great questions the other day, so I decided to answer them on here! 

1) How important is a rotational aspect in functional fitness? I feel like there are tons of back injuries in the general population and many of them come from twisting motions. For example, shoveling snow. It’s somewhat of a deadlift/clean variation but there’s also a big rotational phase in most cases. In my eyes, Crossfit does not really address that motion

2) We do a ton of bilateral motions. Deadlift, push press, cleans, thrusters etc. but unilateral work does not seem to be addressed all that much. I could be missing something but how important do you think unilateral work is in a general fitness program?

3) In a similar vein, we seem to do a ton of linear work. We lunge in a straight line, we run in a straight line, we jump (most of the time) basically straight up and down. Do you think we should be moving laterally or backwards more?

4) In daily life, I might consider throwing a functional movement. Playing frisbee, throwing a football, throwing a baseball, tossing a bag for corn hole, etc. They’re all forms of throwing that seem to appear pretty often in everyday life. I think there is a phrase associated with Crossfit like “regularly try and learn new sports” but do you think it’s enough? Should we incorporate forms of throwing into a warm up to reduce shoulder related injury for the general population?

5) The goal of Crossfit is to keep workouts short and move people from the sick end of the continuum to the fit end of the continuum while forging and fostering health. Health being what you said, work capacity across broad time and modal domains across the length of life. Again, maybe I’m wrong but I feel like a more appropriate form of training to extend quality and quantity of life would be a mix of bodybuilding and low impact cardio. While boring, it still promotes the building and retention of muscle mass which is a good predictor of length and quality of life. It also addresses cardiovascular health without beating up your joints. Crossfit is way more fun and addresses many other aspects of fitness but if the goal is really to keep people out of the nursing home, I might take another approach.

In this episode I dive into a HUGE lifestyle factor for me and how I choose to live my life and who I choose to surround myself with. It comes down to people that are all in, all the time. They are down for the cause, to train, be with or just do what is needed, regardless of circumstances and self need - it is for the "team" I dive into how this mindset when it comes to working out, can lead to a better mindset in life and make sure you have the right people surrounding you!  

In this episode I talk about the opportunity we have as coaches during this unique time where athletes are coming back to the gym for the first time in a while. Getting back on the barbell, pull up rig or working out all together. We can use this as time to become better coaches, teach proper mechanics of higher skill movements as our people will need to go lighter and keep the overall volume and intensity a little lower - this is the time for you to hone your craft with smaller classes and a ready and willing member base!

Lots on my mind these days and with that, I was reminded of a few things we talk about at my Advanced Coaching Concepts. I talk about what an Anchor Point is and how important that is for us to drawn on and derive motivation a direction. As well as a mantra which drives you through when you need it. Take a listen, I take you down two moments in my games career that I pull on all the time!

James and I talk about the recent events in the CrossFit Space and where we stand. Raw, honest and real. We don't have all the answers, but we talk about where we are at now and what we hope to see and why. Happy to talk, support and help if you need, just let us know.

In this one I dive into a topic that is often misunderstood by many in and out of the field. But I hope to break it down for you here simply and in ways that makes sense for us all! The summary is this: If you want to get better - you need to do something that you have not done before, it will not be easy and it will be uncomfortable and it will "hurt" and it will work. You need to earn the right to do certain things as well - it is not all or nothing - it is a balance - but trust me, intensity is king and it works...

I get on one here about YOU and how you matter and how what you do in your gym with your people really does matter. I break down how this works, how it has always worked and do not be deterred by where we are now, now more than ever your people want you because you add value to them! 

In this episode I dive into the classic question that we tend to get when it comes to asking you about your skills, product or offering. It is easy to fall into the trap of making this a negative thing about others. But that is not what this question is about...It is about YOU and what you have done, learned and want to do. Make this about you and be honest. We take a quick dive into this - hope you all enjoy!

In this episode, I dive into a simple task of explaining how to train for nothing. When you do not have a "goal" but you want to get after it, you want more than just OK results, you don't want to check the box, you want to smash the box! How do you set up your mind to do that, where do you get teh motivation and what does that look like on a daily basis? 

In this Episode I dive into my college days. From therapeutic boarding school to college dorms to frats and fights. I talk about this journey and how it led to my lowest low of my life, getting kicked out of school...I talk about how this affected me, and then how it led to me changing my entire life and led me to learning what CrossFit was and then how it led to where I am today. This episode shows the catalyst of where I am today and why...

In this episode I bring it back to a true soap box where I get on and off different topics. From motivation and discipline in your daily routine to how you deal with all the "advice" out there and how that is a true reflection of how we approach people and life. I talk finances and what we can learn from this current life situation that we are in and how it can really help us, as we are living new principles and guidelines and might not even know it! ENJOY!

In this episode I dive into the 5 Phases of response to the current situation that we are in. It is clear that this is our way of life for a while and it will forever change who we are and what we deliver as gyms, coaches and trainers. We are in phase 3 right now - the new normal, virtual classes and offerings. I talk about how to optimize this and some of the best practices that we have learned.

Here is my breakdown of the Phases that we have seen, are in and will be in...

Phase 1: The Shutdown

Phase 2: The Transition to "New" and the "Pivot"

Phase 3: The New Normal - Maintain a business and deliver a quality product

Phase 4: The Transition back

Phase 5: Business "not" as usual - the new frontier of our gyms...

In this episode I talk about the new normal, which is life at home all day and all week. Dealing with what we need to do as a family, what we want to do as individuals and the challenges associated with that. From scheduling who is watching Haley to when we workout to when we are working. There is A LOT that goes into a day now and I wanted to share that with you and hopefully you are finding a good rhythm as well!

In this episode, we talk about the most current event of events. We all have been dealing with the ramifications of making sure we do what we can to help in this trying time. I talk about what we did at CrossFit One Nation, The Reebok gym and Reebok CrossFit One as well as how we have adapted The HAM Plan to accommodate the need for new workouts with different types of equipment and limitations. I also dive into some work from home tips that we have learned in the past week with a baby at home and now me joining my wife at home each day! 

Dr. Sean of Active Life RX discuss Group Training Vs. 1:1 training and express our viewpoints on how we view them in the setting of the gym, our mindsets, and beliefs as well as many other good discussion, disagreements and a common goal.

The IG Post that brought about this Podcast...

When “coaches” or “fitness intellects” say things like - “don’t teach olympic lifts to group classes” or “you ‘shouldn’t’ do these complex movements at higher volume or speed” or “move only for quality, nothing else” and other statements along these lines - I just smile and laugh inside - as I know the trap they have fell into and I move on from their short sighted assessment of how to get fit and healthy and get back to work.
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But for those that want some reasoning…
1. An effective coach is able to teach, see and correct and thus scale properly their class to allow everyone to perform complex lifts and other types of movements - thus affording everyone the right to learn new skills and get better!
2. Coaches would be served best to follow this mantra “Limit your scope - Master the fundamental - Know what you don’t know. If you live by these principles, you will keep your people safe, get them better and not overshoot your skillset.
3. Be weary of the overeducated fitness practitioner who is always tell you what to “limit” and what not to do. I would get a few opinions before you take their word...
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Just my thoughts - did a podcast on this last week - link in bio if you want to dig deeper on this topic.
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Get fired up and look at my stupid crooked pinky - it doesn’t straighten

In part three of my life story we move from the woods and into therapeutic boarding school. I talk about what that transition was like and then how 2 years of school was like down in rural Virginia. Only leaving campus 5 times, not looking or speaking to anyone else for months at a time, lesson learned and not learned. Group therapy, workshops and other the "punishment" that came if your broke one of the rules...

I do not normally do hop on a soapbox on what I do or what I have a business interest in, but rather take the best practices and themes from them and share with you all. But I get lots of questions on this, so I decided to do a full episode on my programming that I create with team HAM. I dive into what we do, how we do it and our purpose! Take a listen or skip over - either way, thank you as always for the support! 

We dive into a great question on HOW to properly increase your training volume if you want to start to do more in the gym and NOT get hurt or develop bad habits or waste your time and move just to move. We talk nerdy in this one one Training cycles and how and what to do and implement. There are some nice key takeaways in this one! Enjoy!  

In this episode, I really jump on a soapbox here and talk about the over educated "nerdy" approach to fitness that loses sight on the bigger picture and then the other end of the spectrum where other fitness programs take parts and pieces of what we do and struggle to see the bigger picture as well. I jump on one about the topic of people that say "you shouldn't coach the olympic lifts in classes" and more!! 

I just had my 13 year anniversary with my wife, so I was reflecting on what I have learned in the past years. We have been through a lot and I have learned a ton about myself and about relationships in general. In this episode, I talk about learnings, best practices and some other empirical antidotes that we have found useful! Enjoy!

In this episode we talk about setting infinite goals for your life of fitness. It is a different take on goal setting, but it might just be the ticket you need to have some new direction, motivation and inspiration. For those of us that have been competitive, I think this might be a real game changer, but a HUGE mindset shift! Take a listen and let me know your thoughts! 

When we label ourselves, we limit ourselves. This is easy to do with CrossFit when it comes to Rx’d and Scaled. But remember there are labels on workouts to inspire you and give you goals. But everyday is different, some days are RX’d some are not…If you are a coach it is YOUR JOB to decide this with your athletes and help them!

I keep it simple here on this one. STOP complaining about other people and things. When it comes to money, view points or anything for that matter...It really boils down to perspective which is led by education. Take a listen, get fired up and be a good person...

It light of 2020 starting, let's talk some goals, your passions and purpose need to collide into action. Really thinking about what you want and HOW you are going to make it happen. Planning and hard work MUST go into this process. I share a little of my journey and what I did and what I continue to do as well as share some best practices that I have seen in those that have done well for themselves in their pursuit of their goals and passions. 

In this episode I dive into some coaching nerd talk about what happens at the whiteboard in a CrossFit Class and how important it is. I break down what it means to the athletes and how most of this information comes from the programmer. We talk about how important programming to the specifics matters for this brief and how it lays down the outline for the hour! Take 20 minutes here and it should be helpful! 

We continue my life story from when I was picked up by the "goons" and then I was brought to Utah to the "Woods" and spent two months in the woods...learning, failing and coming to some pretty big and real realizations about my life and what it was going to look like for the foreseeable future...